Cyperus plant named ‘Perkamentus compact’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Cyperus  plant named ‘Perkamentus Compact’, characterized by its compact plant habit; upright growth habit; relatively short stems; and elongated slender green-colored rays subtending the inflorescences.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Cyperus papyrus cultivarPerkamentus Compact.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPerkamentus plant, botanically known as Perkamentus papyrus, andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Perkamentus Compact.

The new Cyperus is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Cyperuspapyrus cultivar Perkamentus, not patented. The new Cyperus wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor as a plant within a populationof plants of the parent selection in a controlled environment inBleiswijk, The Netherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by tissue culturemicropropagation at Bleiswijk, The Netherlands since June, 2002, hasshown that the unique features of this new Cyperus are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Perkamentus Compact’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Perkamentus Compact’ as anew and distinct Cyperus cultivar:

1. Compact plant habit.

2. Upright growth habit.

3. Relatively short stems.

4. Elongated slender green-colored rays subtending the inflorescences.

Plants of the new Cyperus are most similar to plants of the parentcultivar Perkamentus. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inBleiswijk, The Netherlands, plants of the new Cyperus differed fromplants of the cultivar Perkamentus primarily in plant height as plantsof the new Cyperus were about 25% shorter than plants of the cultivarPerkamentus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which more accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Cyperus.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of‘Perkamentus Compact’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Perkamentus Compact has not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype. The aforementionedphotograph and the following observations and measurements describeplants grown in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands under commercial practice ina glass-covered greenhouse with day and night temperatures about 20° C.Plants used in the photograph and following description were about twoyears old and grown in 12-cm containers. In the following description,color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

Botanical classification: Cyperus papyrus cultivar Perkamentus Compact.

Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Cyperus papyruscultivar Perkamentus, not patented.

Propagation:

Type.—By tissue culture.

Time to initiate roots on a micropropagated plantlet.—About six weeks at20° C.

Time to produce a rooted micropropagated plant.—About twelve weeks at20° C.

Root description.—Fibrous; rhizome development has not been observed.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Upright growth habit; compact plant habit; numerousrelatively short erect stems. Overall plant shape is an invertedtriangle. Numerous elongated slender green-colored rays at base offlower spikes. Moderately vigorous.

Plant height.—About 30 cm.

Plant diameter.—About 30 cm.

Stem description.—Quantity per plant: About ten main stems and about 36lateral stems at main stem apices. Length: Main stems, about 19.9 cm;lateral stems, about 2.3 cm. Diameter: Main stems, about 1.2 cm; lateralstems, about 2 mm. Internode length: About 1.6 cm. Strength: Strong.Cross-section: Triangular. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Main stems,137A, towards the base, 144A to 144B; lateral stems, 191B, towards thebase, 199D.

Foliage description.—Leaves reduced to sheaths at base of stems,brownish in color; roughly deltoid in shape.

Flower description:

Flower type and flowering habit.—Minute single sessile flowers arrangedin terminal compound spikes with numerous spikelets; about 24 flowersper spike. Flowers not persistent. Flowers not fragrant. Flowers faceupright to slightly outwardly.

Flowering season.—Plants typically flower during the autumn in TheNetherlands; flowering continuously during this period.

Inflorescence length.—About 1.1 cm.

Inflorescence diameter.—About 7 mm.

Flower diameter.—About 2 mm.

Flower depth.—About 4 mm.

Flower buds.—Length: About 2.5 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm. Shape:Narrowly lanceolate. Color: 146C to 146D.

Involucral bracts.—Quantity: Two per spike. Length: About 4 cm. Width:About 0.5 mm. Shape: Linear to lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Color: 139B.

Rays.—Arrangement: In terminal rosettes. Length: About 9.4 to 11.8 cm.Width: About 3 mm to 1.1 cm. Shape: Filiform; elongated, slender. Apex:Elongated acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lowersurfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Venation pattern: Parallel. Color:Developing rays, upper surface: 141A. Developing rays, lower surface:Between 137A and 141A. Fully expanded rays, upper surface: Between 137Aand 141A. Fully expanded rays, lower surface: 198D; central band, 137A.Venation, upper surface: Between 137A and 141A. Venation, lower surface:137A.

Scales.—Quantity/arrangement: About three per flower; imbricate. Length:About 1.5 mm. Width: About 0.5 mm. Shape: Narrowly lanceolate. Apex:Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:Smooth, glabrous. Color: When developing and fully developed, uppersurface: 148B to 157C. When developing and fully developed, lowersurface: 148B to 157C.

Peduncles.—Length: About 5.5 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Angle: About 0 to30° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:Between 137A to 141A.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity per flower: About three.Stamen length: About 1 mm. Stamen width: About 0.1 mm. Anther shape:Narrowly elliptic to linear. Anther color: Close to 172B. Amount ofpollen: None observed. Gynoecium: Quantity per flower: One. Pistillength: About 2 mm. Stigma shape: Three-parted. Stigma color: N170A toN170B. Style length: About 1.8 mm. Style color: N170A to N170B. Ovarycolor: 147C to 147D.

Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Cyperus have not beenobserved to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Cyperus.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Cyperus have been observed totolerate temperatures from about 5 to 35° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Cyperus plant named‘Perkamentus Compact’, as illustrated and described.